Switch-piece for railroad-tracks



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. J. MOXHAM. SWITCH PIECE FOR RAILROAD TRACKS.

No. 477,686. Patented June 28, 1892.

, WITNESSES: INVENTOR ATTORNEY (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A.- J. MOXHAM.

SWITCH PIECE FOR RAILROAD TRACKS. No. 477,686. Patented June 28, 1892.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. MOXHAM, OF J OHNSTOWN PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH-PIECE FOR RAILROAD TRACKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,686, dated June 28,1892..

Application filed September 22, 1891. Serial. No. 406,488. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. MoXHAM, of J ohnstown, in the county ofOambria and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvent-ed anewand usefulSwitch-Piece for Railroad-Tracks, which Invention is fully set forth andillustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to make a switch-piece having the partsof which it is composed welded together.

The invention will first be described in detail, and then particularlyset forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows the switch-piece in plan.Figs. 2 and 3 are views in plan of the two rails forming theswitch-piece, showing their appearance before being united, ashereinafter described.

Fig. 4 shows the complete switch-piece in side elevation. Fig. 5 is across-section taken through Fig. 1 at the line a a. Fig. 6 is a Viewsimilar to Fig. 5, showing the parts before being united, as hereinafterdescribed. Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken through Fig. 1

at the line 6 c. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig.

7, showing the parts before being united, as hereinafter described. Fig.9 shows in crosssection, enlarged, one of the rails composing theswitch-piece with its supporting-chair separate therefrom. Fig. 10 is aview in plan showing the double-web chair or support, marked B in Fig.8, detached. Fig.11 is a view in plan showing the single-web chair orsupport, marked A in Fig- 6, detached. Fig. 12 is a bottom plan of theswitch-piece, the supporting-chairs for the rail being omitted.

Fig. 13 shows in plan a modified form of switch-piece. Figs. 14., 15,and 16 are views in plan of the pieces of rail forming the switch-pieceillustrated in Fig. 13, showing their appearance before being united, ashereinafter described. Fig. 17 is a side elevation of Fig. 13.

In said figures the several parts are respectively indicated byreferencedetters, as follows:

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 12, inclusive, the letters R E indicatethe two rails com posing the switch-piece, H, their heads; G, thesuper-elevated guards; WV, their webs, and f, the grooves formed betweenthe heads and guards. The rail R, as shown in Fig. 2, has a portion ofits head it cut away between the points jj to a level with the floor ofthe groove f. Its guard portion G is bent or offset, as shown at thepoint g, and opposite said bend a portion of the head H is also cutaway, as shown. The other rail E is curved, as shown in Fig. 3, and hasits guard portion G cut away to a level with the floor of the groove fbetween the points 7c, and from the point It to the end h of the railsaid guard and a portion of the floor of the groove f are cut away,tapering the floor to the end 71.. Said end 72. is bent, as shown insaid figure, the dotted lines h indicating the end of the rail beforebeing so bent. By cutting and bending the rails, as above described, aclear and level floor for the operation of the movable tongue T isprovided, when the rails are united and also suitable abutting surfacesfor such union. iVhen the rails have been formed in the manner abovedescribed, the bent end it of the rail E is abutted to the rail R at thepoint cl, and the two rails are then welded together at this point byany suitable method, process, means, or act of welding. A chock F, ofany suitable form, is then inserted in the divergent ends of the tworails and said rails tied together by means 'of the bolts 02, passingthrough their webs and through said chock. (See Figs. 1 and 12.) Saidchock is provided with a hole 19, which acts as a bearing for the pin ofmovable tongue T. Said chock may be omitted, if desired; but by itspresence a convenient bearing for the pin of the tongue T is provided.Thelettercindicates upraised corrugations or ribs on the tongue T, whichare continued on the chock F. stiffening-strips 0 may beinserted,asshown in Figs. 1 and 12, between the railsE R and welded toeither or both of said rails. If desired, however, said strips may beomitted. The upper portion of the switch-piece is now a completestructure in itself, with the exception of the movable tongue T.Asupporting-chairA, Figs. 4, 5, and

6, is then welded to the web of the switchpiece at the single end, Fig.1, Figs. 5 and 6 showing, respectively, the appearance of the partsafter and before welding, the letter a indicating the point of the weld.A portion of the upper surface of said chair is cut away,

IOO

as shown at i, and the points of welding are at the points I) Z; only,thereby avoiding the welding together of long surfaces. If desired,

instead of cutting away part of the chairs a of another application forLetters Patent. At

the divergent end of the switch-piece, at the righthand side of Fig. 1,a double-web chair B is welded to the webs of the rails E R, as clearlyshown in Figs. 7 and 8, the latter figure showing the rails and chairbefore being welded and the former after welding, the letter aindicating the point of the weld. The two webs of said chair are weldedto the two corresponding webs of the rails R E, thus making two welds.In the case, however, of the chair A, used at the other end of theswitch-piece, the single web of the chair is welded to the single Web ofthe rail R, and, if prolonged, as shown in Fig. 11, the web of the rearend of the chair is welded to the webs of the rails R E at the junctionof the same at the point d. The chairs having been attached, as abovedescribed, the switch-piece is complete, and the tongue T may be thenput in place for use.

Referring now to Figs. 13 to 17, inclusive, which show a modifiedconstruction, the letters L M N indicate three pieces of rail composingthe switch-piece; H, their heads; G, their super-elevated guards; IV,their webs, and f the grooves formed between the heads and guards. Therail L, as shown in Fig. 14, has a portion of its head H and floorf cutaway between the points Z Z. The rail M is curved, as shown in Fig. 16and has its head and guard cut away between the points m m. When therails have been so formed, their ends u u are welded by a butt-weld tothe end a of the rail N, (shown detached in Fig. 15,) or either one ofsaid rails may be welded to the rail N. Said rails L M in addition tobeing welded to the rail N may also be welded together at theircontiguous portions, if desired. Chairs or supports A 5, similar in formto the chairs A B, shown in Figs. 1 to 12, are welded at each end to theswitch-piece.

By the invention herein described a light, strong, and durableswitch-piece is provided ready to be secured through the medium of itschairs integral therewith, directly to crossties set deeply, below thesurface, thus making a switch-piece suitable for securing in track withdeep-webbed girder-rails, such as it is desirable to use forstreet-railroads.

The rails shown in the drawings are known to the'trade as girderguard-rails, but I do not confine myself to the use of any particularform of rail in the construction of the switchpiece, as any suitableshape of rail having the web or girder form may be used. The chairs alsomay be varied in form without departing from this invention, and may bemade by any suitable method or process-such as rolling, forging,casting, or otherwise-provided they are adapted to be welded to the webof the rail. The bulbs or beads shown on the rails and chairs at thepoints 0 b may be omitted, if desired; but their presence contributes toan easier and more perfect weld. I do not herein claim such bulbs orbeads, reserving the same as the subject of another application forLetters Patent.

It is obvious that the invention herein described is applicable toeither a plain switch or to a switch having a movable tongue.

Having thus fully described my said invention, I claim 1. A railroadswitch-piece having its component parts formed of two or more railswelded together at a common point of union.

2. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails Welded together and to aconnecting-piece at their divergent ends.

3. A railroad switch-piece provided with transverse stiffening piecesbetween the switch-rails thereof welded to one or both of said rails.

4. A railroad switch-piece. formed of three rails welded together toform a common point of juncture.

5. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails welded together and providedwith stiffeningpieces between said rails welded to one or both of saidrails.

6. A railroad switch piece composed of girder-rail pieces having the webof one of the rail-pieces bent over at one end at or near a right anglefor making a short abutting contact at said point with anotherrail-piece.

7. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails, the web at the end of one ofsaid rails being bent over and welded to form a short weld at said pointto another rail.

8. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails welded together at theirpoint of juncture, one of said rails extending beyond said juncture,anda support welded to said rail beyond the point of juncture.

9. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails welded together, one of saidrails extending beyond their point of juncture, and a singlewcbbed chairor support welded to said rail beyond said juncture.

10. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails welded together, one of saidrails extending beyond the point of juncture, and a singlewebbed chairor support welded to said rail beyond said juncture and to the webs atsaid juncture.

11. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails welded together and asupport welded to each of said rails at their divergentends.

12. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails welded together and adouble-webbed chair or support welded to said rails at their divergentends.

13. A railroad switeh-piece formed of rails welded together, one of saidrails extending beyond their point of juncture, a support or chairWelded tosaid rail beyond said juncture, and a support or supportsWelded to said rails at their divergent ends.

14. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails Welded together, one of saidrails extending beyond their point of juncture, a singlewebbed supportor chair Welded to said rail beyond said juncture and to the rails attheir juncture, and supports or chairs Welded to said rails at theirdivergent ends.

15. A railroad switch-piece formed of rails welded together, one of saidrails extending beyond their point of juncture, a support or chairwelded to said rail beyond said j unet- ARTHUR J. MoXnA Witnesses ROBERTS. MURPHY, A. J. BRYAN.

